That was the title of a workshop I recently gave at the Mother Earth News fair in Seven Springs. I am still catching off from my time there, when I promised to post recipes I prepared at the demo. At last, I am fulfilling that promise. Below is the stir-fried greens I prepared for that demo. I am also posting recipes for a salad and for shredded sautéed winter vegetables – two recipes I prepared for a workshop on Cooking Winter Vegetables.

Kale is still growing.

I am behind in every aspect of my life – in part because I have been busy trying to put my garden to bed. Not a minute too soon, because the snow came this weekend. Putting the vegetable garden to bed was a fairly easy task, because the soil is so lovely and yielding. I planted a nice big bed of garlic and mulched the salsify, which I won’t harvest until the spring.

Garden writers can wax poetic about time and worries slipping away in the Zen of gardening. Not me, I was caught up in a sweaty profane battle against bishop’s weed in my perennial bed. Bishop’s weed spreads by underground runners, and I suspect in a battle for territory against mint, the bishop’s weed would prevail. It arrived unannounced and unwanted, probably in a perennial I purchased or was give by a “friend.” Trying to get rid of it required digging up every square inch of garden and then sifting through the soil to remove even the smallest piece of root that remained. I have no illusions that I succeeded in eradicating that pest, but I do think I made serious headway. And along the way, I separated the iris and daylilies, which were in need of attention.

Quite honestly, I’d rather be cooking.

Sichuan-Style Stir-Fried Chinese Greens

This has a few exotic ingredients, because I wanted to keep this vegetarian and I wanted to make something you might not have already tasted. The odd ingredients are: Sichuan peppercorns and Chinese black vinegar. Sichuan peppercorns are actually the berry of the prickly-ash and can be found at Asian groceries, perhaps under the name anise pepper, Chinese pepper, fagara, flower pepper, or sansho. Chinese black vinegar has a distinctive flavor, closer to balsamic vinegar than to regular rice vinegar. To make a reasonable substitute for Chinese black vinegar, mix 1 part soy sauce, 1 part Worcestershire sauce, and 1 part rice vinegar.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons in a large wok over high heat. Add the 4 small chiles, 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns, and 2 minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the greens and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the greens are wilted. Cover and let steam until tender, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the green and your preferences.

This cabbage salad uses regular green cabbage, but napa cabbage could be substituted. The secret ingredient is Thai sweet chili sauce, a condiment found in Asian markets. It is made of sugar, vinegar, and chiles and makes a wonderful dressing for salads or a dip for spring rolls. This salad combined with chicken makes a delicious wrap.

This sauté of vegetables takes 10 minutes to cook and looks as beautiful on the plate as it is delicious to eat. Vary the seasonings if you like, the shredded vegetables are amenable to experimentation.

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the root vegetables, leek, and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are limp, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 more minutes.